What A Racket

You know it's been a while since you've blogged when you're knee-deep in summer chaos and your last post is about procrastinating during final exams... Scratch that- you know you have been lazy with writing when your own mother points out that you haven't completed a blog recently. Epic. Fail.

So here we go... I'm going to try and find energy after work and entertain you with my oh-so inspiring thoughts more often, even if it means laying my face on the keyboard and submitting the subsequent rubbish.

What has piqued my fatigued mind today? Wimbledon. I can't get enough of professional tennis (or playing tennis, for that matter) and I might as well give a little bit of my own view of what's to come in the Grass Court Kingdom of The All England Lawn Tennis Club. I need to get these thoughts up as soon as possible so that my selected players can either confirm or debunk my bracket expectations... Ready? GO!


MEN'S SINGLES:

The men of Wimbledon always bring some excitement on the court, with fast-paced play and powerful strikes, and considering this year's quarter finalists I don't see how we could be let down. One of the most exciting matchups will be USA's A. Roddick taking on L. Hewitt, a game that will surely put Andy's world-known serve up against Lleyton's incredible agility. So long as Roddick maintains composure and ignores the nerves that accompany a world-class battle, I expect him to move on. On the same side of the bracket sits Britain's own A. Murray who will face J. Ferrero. Will the Brit be able to live up to his nation's expectations? Something tells me he will atleast make it to the semifinals, but it's the other side of the bracket that has me reved up.

My tennis favorite, N. Djokovic will be testing his strength against the big-hitting T. Haas. As one of the most animated and crowd-thrilling players in the professional circuit, Novak has a lot to offer the tennis world, but his faltering consistency and occasional injury have plagued him in the past, but I'm putting my bets on him out of pure fan loyalty. He has the skill, the question is just whether or not he'll come to play.

The final quarter's match to take place is R. Federrer v I. Karlovic. Honestly, I know very little about Roger's opponent, but I imagine it won't matter much- I've got Fed at 99% chance of success.

The true game, should my predictions hold true, will be the semifinal match between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federrer. The other side of the bracket can do as they please, because it will be THIS match that will invite championship-level play. Novak, better known as Nole by his noble fans, is an incredible player looking to take home more Grand Slams than his past has afforded him, and going up against the world's greatest player (sorry, Nadal really isn't the best yet...) will surely provoke some of the best tennis we've seen in this year's Majors. Federrer's got the backhand slice and better overall shot control, but Novak packs huge shots out of both his forehand and backhand triggers. Though I would expect Roger to fight through and win, I really and truly would like nothing more than to see Djokovic rally his way into the finals to take on whoever (and I mean whoever, because I don't care too much) awaits him.

WOMEN'S SINGLES:

The women's tournament has already entered the semifinal round, but that doesn't mean the excitement has dwindled even a bit. I enjoy watching women's tennis just as much, if not more than the men, and I attribute my interest to their style of play: something about it is just alluring. Sure, the men provide a good show with their hard-hitting, all-out, rack-up-the-winners play... But in my opinion, the women grant us the pleasure of more variety. We get to watch things like Jelena Jankovic's court-covering defense and masterful down-the-line backhand. Or how about the since-retired Justine Hennin's surprise attacks at net, showing us that even the most unsuspecting, small players can hold venomous shots and earn world number-one status. Lucky for those craving power, there's always the Williams sisters and the lovely Sharapova screaming and pummeling their way into championship matches. This year's Wimbledon has given us all that and more...

The 4 players remaining in the semifinal round are D. Safina v V. Williams and E. Dementieva v S. Williams. At first glance, both match-ups look promising, but one fact that can't be ignored is the possibility for a Williams Sister finale. What a shocker.

In all honesty, the Wimbledon crown will most likely remain upon the head of Gass Court Queen, Venus Williams. Venus is on absolute fire this tournament, ready to take her place in the spotlight of centre court. All four players in this year's semis are big-hitting ladies who have all had their share of success. Dinara Safina, the current world number one, is the most likely woman to give Venus a battle, but I'm confident that the 5-time Wimbledon Champion has enough experience to take herself into the final round, if not all the way to the Wimbledon Trophy. But Safina will have something to say in rebuttle, bringing her A-game to each match and mercilessly trampling her opponents when given the chance.

Serena, on the other hand, needs to dampen the power of the Russian viper, Elena Dementieva. Serena, having won 2 of the last 3 Grand Slams, is full of confidence and ready to reclaim her familiar seat as the World Greatest, but Elena also has her reasons for winning: could this be her first Major title?


No matter what the outcome, the odds are that the winner will face the might of Venus Williams, and I'd enjoy nothing more than another head-to-head sibling brawl. Though I applause Serena's play, my money would have to fall on Venus.

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There we go. All my thoughts on Wimbledon layed out for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to comment on my selections and add your own via the comments section.